Celebrities Reveal Their Australian Travel Secrets
From secluded bays to fish and chips by the sea, here’s where the stars go for their own little slice of Australia.
Nicole Warne, Qantas digital consultant and founder, garypeppergirl.com: “One that is personal for me is Maitland Bay, on the NSW Central Coast where I live. There’s a beautiful hike along the coastline through Bouddi National Park – very similar to the Bondi to Bronte walk in Sydney. The end destination is the secluded beach at Maitland Bay, which is stunning.”
Hugh Sheridan, actor: “The Fleurieu Peninsula, 45 minutes south of Adelaide, has an amazing coastline. Aldinga Beach is in the heart of the peninsula and where we used to holiday as kids. It brings back the best memories of hot summer Christmases with our new boogie boards from Santa. It’s the perfect destination for a family holiday or some timeout.”
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Lindy Klim, creative director, Milk & Co: “I grew up in Tasmania and there’s a place down south called Eggs and Bacon Bay, past Cygnet, that’s so beautiful. It’s a little haven where you can get abalone and pick oysters straight from the rock. I spent my youth there. It’s heaven. I’ve taken my kids there, too – whenever I’m in Tassie, we take a drive there and spend the day.”
Marta Dusseldorp, actress: “The Hawkesbury [NSW] is pretty spectacular: frolicking around there in a boat, there are a lot of little inlets you can go to. And I think it’s quite an extraordinary, very spiritual place; there’s a lot of history here.”
SEE ALSO: 7 Romantic Getaways Around Australia
Peter Garrett, musician: “I've always felt that secret places should stay that way – but if you sniff around the northern side of Jervis Bay [on the NSW South Coast] at any time of the year you'll come away happy. It's spectacular, unspoiled, and after exploring to your heart's content, you can grab fish and chips at Currarong on the ocean side, sit on the small headland and take in great views up the coast.”
Michelle Bridges, wellbeing expert: “My secret place is Rainbow Beach on the Queensland coastline. It's majestic and relatively untouched. I enjoy camping there as it is so secluded, yet completely understand the fact that nature can be unforgiving so one must respect it. The ocean is unpatrolled, so swimming is more paddling. However, being so far removed from the city makes it extremely rewarding as it’s all back to basics and great fun.”
Ryan Lobo, fashion designer, Tome: “Kutti Beach, near Vaucluse in Sydney, is the best secret beach. It’s super tiny, semi-privately owned and hard to get to so it’s not frequented by many. It’s the loveliest little beach and really charming.”
Jarrod Scott, model: “Wilsons Promontory [National Park, in the Gippsland region of Victoria]. My friends and I once hiked around Mount Oberon for about eight and a half hours. There are so many hidden coves and every corner has a different terrain from lush forest to desert-type plants.”
Abby Earl, actress: “I’m from Broulee on the NSW south coast, where you can be the only person on the beach sometimes. I would see whales and dolphins here when I was growing up. There’s also Broulee Island, which is connected to the mainland [by a permanent sandbar]. You can walk around it and be the only one on the island. Whenever I go back, it seems like it hasn’t changed, which is really a seldom experience. There’s nothing flashy but that’s what I relish about it.”
Neil Perry, chef and Qantas’s creative director of food, beverage and service: “It’s probably not a secret for people who live nearby, however I love the beach along the harbour at Rose Bay in Sydney. At low tide we walk from our house right along the shore to the sailing club. It’s such a beautiful perspective of one of the greatest harbours in the world”.
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